SC-900 Practice Question: Describe the capabilities of Microsoft security solutions
Your organization wants to label emails and documents as 'Confidential' automatically based on content patterns. Which Microsoft Purview feature should you use?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies with auto-labeling, as both use content patterns, but DLP blocks or monitors data sharing while auto-labeling applies sensitivity labels to the content itself.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Auto-labeling (sensitivity labels)
Auto-labeling (sensitivity labels) in Microsoft Purview can automatically apply 'Confidential' labels to emails and documents based on content patterns, such as credit card numbers or specific keywords. This feature uses pattern matching and machine learning classifiers to detect sensitive content and assign the appropriate sensitivity label without manual intervention.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Audit log
Why it's wrong here
An audit log records user and administrator activities within Microsoft 365 services, such as when a document is accessed, modified, or a sensitivity label is applied. While it can track *when* a label was applied, it does not *automatically apply* labels to content itself. Its primary function is for security investigations, compliance monitoring, and forensic analysis, not proactive content classification.
- ✗
Retention labels
Why it's wrong here
Retention labels are designed to manage the lifecycle of information by defining how long content should be kept or deleted, based on regulatory, legal, or business requirements. They control data retention and disposition, but they do not provide protection features like encryption, visual markings, or access restrictions. Therefore, they cannot automatically classify content based on its sensitivity to apply protective actions.
- ✓
Auto-labeling (sensitivity labels)
Why this is correct
Auto-labeling for sensitivity labels is the correct solution because it automatically applies predefined sensitivity labels to emails and documents based on specific conditions, such as the presence of sensitive information types (e.g., credit card numbers, PII) or keywords. This process inspects content at rest or in transit and then applies the associated protective actions, including encryption, visual markings, and access restrictions, ensuring consistent classification and protection without manual intervention.
- ✗
Data Loss Prevention policy
Why it's wrong here
A Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policy is primarily designed to identify, monitor, and protect sensitive information from being shared inappropriately or accidentally outside organizational boundaries. While DLP policies can be configured to detect sensitive content and prevent its unauthorized exfiltration, their main function is to enforce sharing restrictions and alert on policy violations, not to automatically apply sensitivity labels to classify and protect content at rest or in transit.
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Microsoft Entra ID
Key term
Labels
Labels are descriptive text or tags attached to IT resources to organize, identify, and manage them based on attributes like purpose, environment, or owner.
Key term
Microsoft Purview
Microsoft Purview is a unified data governance and compliance service that helps organizations discover, manage, and protect their data across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SC-900 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SC-900 exam.